Green Building and Social Sustainability: Study on Mosuo Folk Housing in China

Abstract

Culture as an important part of social sustainability, can influence on the energy saving as well. Fist because definition of good life and benchmark of comfort vary significantly in different culture. Second, as in the society like Mosuo, the understanding of home is different to majority of rest nations. The significance of architecture is much associated with cultural satisfaction instead of high standard of physical comfort. To make things better, in such built environment as Mosuo, culture is the main focus, and social relationship is always tightly bonded in a harmonious state. Another finding from this study is that Mosuos social system demonstrates an interesting ability at keeping a steady level of its population for a long time in China; where population explosion is a crucial problem. It is the typical pattern of Mosuo house that enables the distinct lifestyle of Mosuo people to be dynamic and perpetual. Considering from material choosing, house building and daily occupation, these indigenous homes present a low carbon, ecological dwelling with substantial cultural significance. Nowadays, technology is nearly regarded as the universal judgment standard. However, social sustainability has been paid attention by researchers in developed countries and its cross-discipline study with built environment is also a heated topic. This study showed a new angle that culture could contribute to the conception of sustainable life style and the consequent paradigm on a new form of green buildings.